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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element" dir="ltr"> <font
size="-2"><a class="domain reader-domain"
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14738">https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14738</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">Red Cross Chief: Venezuela Aid Being
Politicized to ‘Destabilize the Country’</h1>
<div class="credits reader-credits">By Ricardo Vaz - December 4,
2019<br>
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<p>Caracas, December 5, 2019 (<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/">venezuelanalysis.com</a>)
- The president of the International Federation of the
Red Cross (IFRC) has criticized the “unacceptable”
politicization of humanitarian aid to Venezuela.</p>
<p>Speaking in a press conference in Geneva on Monday,
Francesco Rocca denounced a lack of funding for the
organization’s programs in Venezuela.</p>
<p>"This is not about resources, this is about political
will," he told reporters, adding that less than ten
percent of the IFRC’s September US $50 million
emergency appeal had been met.</p>
<p>Rocca went on to state that aid programs run by
United Nations agencies and other international actors
in Venezuela were being likewise underfunded, slamming
the privation of aid “as a tool to destabilize the
country.”</p>
<p>The Red Cross chief drew comparisons with other
countries, pointing out that the organization’s $12
million funding appeal for the Bahamas following a
hurricane in September was surpassed by $8 million
within ten days. He added that “it’s easier to receive
funds for Syria and even for Yemen.”</p>
<p>“I cannot imagine any other explanation except
political will for the creation of this situation on
the ground” he concluded, while also dismissing the
idea that the Venezuelan government is blocking access
to aid.</p>
<p>The Red Cross runs a host of programs in cooperation
with the Venezuelan government. Its operations were <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14416">expanded</a>
in April with the goal of addressing the immediate
food and medicine needs of 650,000 people. Yet, lack
of funding has meant only around 50,000 Venezuelans
have been reached, according to IFRC figures.</p>
<p>The organization had previously condemned the
“politicization” of relief efforts when the US and the
Venezuelan opposition attempted to force so-called
“humanitarian aid” across a closed
Venezuelan-Colombian border on <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/14355">February
23</a>. The efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.</p>
<p>Opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself
“interim president” in January and was immediately
recognized by Washington and regional allies. He has
since tried to oust the Maduro government, including
via a failed putsch attempt on <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14453">April
30</a>. For its part, the US has led international
efforts to encircle Venezuela including the activation
of the <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14737">TIAR</a>
military pact.</p>
<p>Venezuela has been mired in a deep economic crisis in
recent years which has been severely exacerbated by
punishing US sanctions. Following successive rounds of
<a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/video/14279">measures</a>
targeting the oil industry and other vital economic
sectors, Washington imposed a <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14615">blanket
embargo</a> in August, banning all dealings with the
Venezuelan government and state entities as well as
authorizing secondary sanctions against third party
actors.</p>
<p>US sanctions have led to drastic fall in <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14724">oil
output</a> – formerly the source of around 95
percent of export revenues –, constraining the
government’s ability to pay for imports of food,
medicine, and other essential goods.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14446">report</a>
by the Washington DC-based Center for Economic and
Policy Research (CEPR) found that US measures have
been responsible for at least 40,000 deaths since
2017, with hundreds of thousands more at risk.</p>
<p><em>Edited by Lucas Koerner from Caracas.</em></p>
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